Steve Kimock’s new CD Satellite City features him in a mix of styles, from his trademark explorational improvisation to song-based fare featuring Leslie Mendelson. TipJar was lucky enough to chat with Steve about his new release and to get into some fun side tangents about his early years in San Francisco.

Over the years, Los Angeles musicians Mark Tremalgia, Randy Ray Mitchel, Paul Ill and Don Potruch have loaned their skills to artists including Bob Weir, Butch Trucks, Linda Perry and Billy Gibbons. Now they’ve come together as the Disreputable Few

On their third CD, Blast, the Plates pack a heap of intensity into their tight compositions, with most of the tunes clocking in around the three-minute mark and one track, “Sugar at the Controls,” barely exceeding 68 seconds.